Third Rock Ventures’ Post

𝐍𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐆𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 Neomorph, Inc. Neomorph, Inc. partners with Novo Nordisk Novo Nordisk to develop molecular glue degraders, targeting 'undruggable' diseases. CEO Phil Chamberlain Phil Chamberlain expresses excitement about the collaboration, citing Novo Nordisk's expertise in cardiometabolic and rare diseases. The agreement includes upfront payments, R&D funding, and potential milestone payments totaling $1.46B, with Neomorph leading discovery and preclinical activities. Novo Nordisk will exclusively pursue clinical development and commercialization. Brian Vandahl Brian Stidsen Vandahl, PhD, Senior VP of Global Research Technologies at Novo Nordisk, highlights the company's commitment to innovative solutions for chronic diseases. #Biotech #Collaboration #DrugDiscovery #Therapeutics #Partnership #Preclinical #agreement

Building on previous CMTA-funded success, new $450K investment accelerates research to treat CMT1A and CMT1B The CMTA is thrilled to announce a significant investment of $450K into groundbreaking research targeting CMT1A and CMT1B, led Jordan VerPlank, Ph.D., at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. This initiative marks a pivotal moment in our collective efforts to unravel the complexities of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) and to bring effective treatments for patients worldwide. The CMTA-funded early work from the VerPlank lab showed that increasing cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels could improve myelination, nerve conduction, and motor coordination. The new research will investigate the mechanism by which boosting cGMP could mitigate neuropathy by facilitating the breakdown of disease-causing mutant proteins and preventing their harmful intracellular accumulation, in both laboratory studies and in animal models of CMT1A and 1B. What sets this research apart? We're leveraging the concept of "drug repurposing" to expedite the translation of findings into clinical applications. By harnessing FDA-approved treatments, we aim to accelerate the development of targeted therapies for CMT subtypes. This strategic investment underscores the CMTA's unwavering commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation in CMT research. Through our Strategy to Accelerate Research (STAR) initiative, we're driving forward transformative discoveries that hold the promise of improving patient outcomes. Interested in contributing to this vital research or exploring partnership opportunities? Reach out to Dr Katherine Forsey, Ph.D., our chief research officer, to learn how you can partner with the CMTA to bring treatments to CMT and to improve the lives of those living with this disease. Together, with Dr. VerPlank and others, we’re pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration and paving the way for innovative solutions for CMT. Connect with Katherine Forsey, Ph.D., today: katherine@cmtausa.org 

As we continue to forge ahead with our new partnership with AstralBio, the enthusiasm within and around our teams is palpable. Following our initial announcement, it's time to spotlight the remarkable expertise that Martin Brenner, iBio's CEO and CSO, brings to this venture, especially in cardiometabolic disease research. With a career that spans industry giants like Eli Lilly and Pfizer, Martin's contributions to obesity and cardiometabolic disease drug development have been nothing short of revolutionary. His words resonate with our mission: "Leveraging my experience in obesity and cardiometabolic disease drug development from my time at Eli Lilly and Pfizer, I am eager to advance potentially groundbreaking compounds through our partnership with AstralBio." Martin's expertise is a testament to iBio's strategic approach, which is focused on tackling some of the most challenging healthcare issues facing the world today. His vision and deep understanding of the intricacies of developing therapies for obesity and cardiometabolic diseases are invaluable as we collaborate with AstralBio. Together, we aim to create therapies and revolutionize how these conditions are treated globally. This partnership is a testament to our unwavering commitment to leveraging unparalleled expertise and innovative technologies to develop therapies that can profoundly impact patients' lives. With Martin Brenner leading iBio's scientific endeavors, we are more confident than ever in achieving extraordinary outcomes that will make a real difference to patients worldwide. #iBio #AstralBio #Biotech #Collaboration #CardiometabolicHealth #DrugDevelopment

This week we hosted leading figures in UK biopharma to share how the PrecisionLife #CausalAI platform is improving the probability of success in drug discovery, clinical development, and product launch. Thank you to everyone who joined us at Babraham Research Campus to help overcome some of the biggest challenges facing drug developers today. By gaining a better understanding of causal biology and pioneering mechanistic biomarker-driven R&D, we're informing and de-risking key stages of drug discovery and development. Creating precision medicines for complex, chronic diseases to improve the lives of billions of people. If you weren't able to be there in person and would like to know more, get in touch with the PrecisionLife team at https://lnkd.in/eaTtCDgH 📸 1️⃣ - Steve Gardner presents our platform enabling the discovery, development, and launch of precision medicines 2️⃣ - Rowan Gardner shares how unknown causal biology is the root of major drug development risk and healthcare inefficiency 3️⃣ - Sayoni Das provides examples of our precision medicine-ready programs 4️⃣ - Steve explains what is now possible with unprecedented insights into patient biology and the molecular mechanisms of their disease 5️⃣ - Steve and Sayoni demonstrate how mechanism-based biomarkers are accelerating and de-risking clinical development 6️⃣ - Precision Medicine in Chronic Diseases: Increasing Probability of R&D Success with Causal AI - visit precisionlife.com for more.

🎉 Congratulations to Xylyx Bio, Inc. for securing a $370,020 award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) , The National Institutes of Health! This SBIR Fast Track grant will support the development of a liver fibrosis cell-based assay platform. Xylyx Bio is pioneering engineered human liver fibrotic lesions to create a predictive in-vitro model, addressing the lack of effective drug testing assays for liver fibrosis. This innovation could significantly impact the treatment of chronic liver diseases like NASH and hepatitis C. #SBIR #STTR #Innovation 🔬 The research, categorized under a project grant, will span 12 months, starting from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025. This initiative aims to reduce dependence on animal models and enhance preclinical decision-making, potentially leading to the first effective drug treatment for millions suffering from fibrotic liver diseases. Kudos to Xylyx Bio for advancing drug development in the global NASH market! #Healthcare #Biotech #LiverDisease

Interesting announcement by Galapagos and Blood Centers of America (BCA) to collaborate and enable the decentralization of the operating model. https://lnkd.in/eRZqFEkY We had predicted such an operating model almost 5 years ago and even suggested enabling it with entities such as BCA. We are glad to see that industry is moving in this direction. https://lnkd.in/gar4i7K Indeed, getting CGTs closer to the patient will improve access. However, we still have work to do. We believe that the top two considerations are: hospitals and manufacturing. 1. Addressing several impediments to manage increased patient volume within and across the treatment center network. Together with Joe DePinto, we had shared our perspectives on how to potentially solve for those in the following article. https://lnkd.in/edQM_Phk 2. Understanding the development process and implementing optimized manufacturing processes and infrastructure will be key to enable the manufacturing network. In the attached article, Jason C. Foster and Accenture argue that "developing to learn, instead of devleoping for clinic" and early adoption of digital technologies will help overcome several manufacturing challenges that impact patient access. https://lnkd.in/gbkTbP-H Barry Heavey, Anne Marie O'Halloran, Carly Guenther #CGT, #Celltherapies, #marketaccess,

The development of Avastin by Genentech exemplifies the debate between shareholder value and societal contribution. Intravitreal Avastin is the only exponential #innovation in retinal treatment responsible for the greatest prevention of vision loss in human history. All subsequent medications have provided incremental value but come with questionable societal "contribution margins" and enormous costs, amounting to billions of dollars. Avastin has delivered immense societal benefits without increasing shareholder value, employing sales teams, sponsoring drug company lunches, enriching "KOLs," or boosting egos on the podium. In fact, Avastin has negatively impacted shareholder value for Genentech by cannibalizing the sales of Lucentis. Napoleone Ferrara and other scientists at Genentech who researched angiogenesis, leading to the development of Avastin, have made an unparalleled societal contribution by saving vision worldwide. Genentech will be remembered more for its societal contributions than for its shareholder value. Genentech should be proud of this legacy. #ophthalmology #retina #optometry #strategy

Join us at the Galien Forum USA 2024 for an enlightening panel on Big Biotech! 🌟 We're honored to welcome an esteemed group of experts who are shaping the future of biotechnology: 🔬 Phillip Sharp - 1993 Nobel Laureate for Physiology or Medicine, Institute Professor and Biology Emeritus at MIT's MIT MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and Co-Chair of the Galien Forum (Panel Chair). 🔬 Jay Bradner - Executive Vice President, Research & Development and Chief Scientific Officer, Amgen (Panelist). 🔬 Pushkal Garg - Chief Medical Officer and Executive Vice President, Development & Medical Affairs, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Panelist). 🔬 Jane Grogan - Executive Vice President and Head of Research, Biogen (Panelist). 🔬 george yancopoulos - Board Co-Chair, President & Chief Scientific Officer, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (Panelist). Dive into groundbreaking discussions, innovative ideas, and future-forward insights with leaders at the forefront of biotech research and development. 👉 Watch out for the newsletter coming out soon for more details! #GalienForum #BigBiotech #Innovation #Biotechnology #Healthcare #ResearchAndDevelopment #BiotechLeaders #FutureOfHealth #MedicalInnovation

Finding cures for diseases like Parkinson’s means leaving no stone unturned. On the verge of developing a new kind of molecule to help combat the neurodegenerative condition, Ventus Therapeutics screened a documentary film about Parkinson’s for the entire company. The next day they invited a specialist to speak to everyone. On the third day, a patient with a severe form of Parkinson's shared his experience living with the disease. All three events were mandatory for employees, whether they were an accountant or a chemist. What was the impact? “Try telling someone at the company today that we’re giving up on Parkinson’s,” says CEO Marcelo Bigal. “They’re going to fight for it. The accountant is going to find money for Parkinson’s. This is our disease. Those events touched everyone at the company. They changed us.” Read our full Q&A with Bigal that spotlights how Ventus’s approach to drug discovery is unquestionably people-centered. https://lnkd.in/gveCgDTF #biotech #medicine #innovation

As I see more and more posts mentioning Profs. Carl June and Bruce Levine for their outstanding achievements in the CAR-T field, and please do not get me wrong, they truly deserve it, I felt it was important to give a "shout out" to Dr. Boro Dropulic as well for his overall contribution in this therapeutic achievement (https://lnkd.in/gVja8_as). Boro is one of the unsung heros who has dedicated his life in making patients' lives better. Without Boro and his seminal work on the clinical translation of the lentiviral vector platform, patients would not have benefited of the CAR-T successes as we now know it. It has been a bumpy road to get to 2011 NEJM landmark publication, and Boro was behing it with Lentigen. The first subjects dosed with LVV modified T cells were produced by Boro's first company, VIRxSYS. Granted it took a village to get there, and the convergence of several great minds to make CAR-Ts a success, but I simply wanted to acknowledged Boro for having this vision of leveraring HIV as a genetic payload delivery system and make it a reality so many years before anyone else, and starting by convincing VCs to fund VIRxSYS in the very late 90s when they were more interested in investing in startups working on gas pumps delivering additives for engine performance. For full disclosure I have no stake in Boro's current endeavors, and yes I worked with him in the early 2000s. Again I just wanted to remind us all how outstanding Boro is. Please visit his current efforts, including "Caring Cross", his non-profit aiming to deliver advanced/cutting edge medicine to underserved community in the world. The man cares, and he is showing it to us every day...